تأخَّرتُ عن صَوغ القرِيض له قَصدا

تأخَّرتُ عن صَوغ القرِيض له قَصدا

لِكَى يمدحُوا جمَعا وأمدَحُه فردَا

لِكَى يمدحُوا جمَعا وأمدَحُه فردَا

I deliberately delayed composing poetry for him,

I delayed composing poetry for him intentionally

so they might praise him together, and I praise him alone.

So they would praise him collectively and I would praise him individually

فحُبِّي له وحدِي يُعادِلُ حبَّهُم

فحُبِّي له وحدِي يُعادِلُ حبَّهُم

جميعا وشِعرِي فاقَ شعرَهُمُ عدَّا

جميعا وشِعرِي فاقَ شعرَهُمُ عدَّا

For my love for him, mine alone, equals theirs

For my love for him alone equals their love for him

all together; and my poetry surpassed theirs in number.

Collectively and my poetry surpassed theirs in number

بلَى كلُّ فردٍ لا يَرَى غيرَ ما أرَى

بلَى كلُّ فردٍ لا يَرَى غيرَ ما أرَى

فليسَ يَرى في حبِّ مالِكه نِدَّا

فليسَ يَرى في حبِّ مالِكه نِدَّا

Indeed, every person sees nothing but what I see:

Indeed, each individual sees nothing but what I see

he sees no rival in his love for his master.

So he does not see any rival in the love of his master

فَما نظَمُوا فيهِ القَوافِي لآلئاً

فَما نظَمُوا فيهِ القَوافِي لآلئاً

بَلَى نظَموا حبَّات قلبِهمُ عِقدَا

بَلَى نظَموا حبَّات قلبِهمُ عِقدَا

For they did not string rhymes as pearls in his praise;

What they composed in it were not pearls

rather, they strung their hearts' beads into a necklace.

Rather, they strung together beads of their hearts as a necklace

وما هتَفُوا بِاسم المليكِ وإنَّمَا

وما هتَفُوا بِاسم المليكِ وإنَّمَا

بِصَيحاتِهم ذابت عواطفُهُم وُدَّا

بِصَيحاتِهم ذابت عواطفُهُم وُدَّا

Nor did they cry out the king's name; rather,

And they did not chant the name of the king but rather

through their cries, their emotions melted into love.

Their screams melted their emotions in affection

فذا شعبُهُ الوافِي يَفيضُ محبَّةً

فذا شعبُهُ الوافِي يَفيضُ محبَّةً

وَينشَقُ من أعتابِه المسِكَ والنَّدَّا

وَينشَقُ من أعتابِه المسِكَ والنَّدَّا

So here are his loyal people, overflowing with love,

So when his loyal people overflow with love

and breathing in musk and fragrant incense from his thresholds.

And musk and ambergris burst from his threshold

ألا هكذا تسمُو الملوكُ بِشعبِهم

ألا هكذا تسمُو الملوكُ بِشعبِهم

فيشكرُهم شُكرا على ما لَه أسدَى

فيشكرُهم شُكرا على ما لَه أسدَى

Behold, thus do kings raise their people high,

Indeed, this is how kings are exalted by their people

so their people thank them gratefully for what they have bestowed upon them.

So he thanks them with gratitude for what he was given

بلَى كلُّ ملكٍ باذخٍ وَدَّ أنَّهُ

بلَى كلُّ ملكٍ باذخٍ وَدَّ أنَّهُ

لمغربِهِ الأقصَى يكون له عَبدَا

لمغربِهِ الأقصَى يكون له عَبدَا

Indeed, every exalted king wishes that he

Rather, every generous king loves that he

might be a slave to his Morocco in the Far West.

Would have a servant for his farthest west

وهل مثلُ نشر العلمِ أسمَى مَزيَّةٍ

وهل مثلُ نشر العلمِ أسمَى مَزيَّةٍ

لشعبٍ ظَمِىءٍ ساغَ مَنهلَه وِردا

لشعبٍ ظَمِىءٍ ساغَ مَنهلَه وِردا

And is there any loftier virtue than spreading knowledge

And is there anything loftier than spreading knowledge

for a thirsty people who find its spring sweet to drink?

For a thirsty people whose watering place he made drinkable?

به انجابَ ليلُ الجهلِ بعدَ تَغَيُّمٍ

به انجابَ ليلُ الجهلِ بعدَ تَغَيُّمٍ

وأشرقَ صبحُ العِلم إذ منه لا بُداَّ

وأشرقَ صبحُ العِلم إذ منه لا بُداَّ

Through him, the night of ignorance lifted after its clouded gloom,

With it the night of ignorance shone after gloom

and the dawn of knowledge shone, for it is indispensable.

And the dawn of knowledge rose for it is inevitable

وذَادَ عن الدِّين الحنيفِ وصَدَّ مَن

وذَادَ عن الدِّين الحنيفِ وصَدَّ مَن

لِنفعِهِمُ راموا يكيدُوا له كَيدا

لِنفعِهِمُ راموا يكيدُوا له كَيدا

And he defended the upright faith and repelled those

It protected the true religion and blocked those

who, for their own gain, sought to hatch plots against it.

Who for their benefit schemed to plot against it

مليكٌ حَباه اللهُ حُبُّ بِلادهِ

مليكٌ حَباه اللهُ حُبُّ بِلادهِ

فهامَت به حُباً ونالت به رُشدا

فهامَت به حُباً ونالت به رُشدا

A king whom God has granted his country's love,

A king gifted by God with love of his country

so it fell passionately in love with him and gained sound guidance through him.

So it was impassioned with him and achieved righteousness through him

ولولاه لم تُبصِر من النور طَلعةً

ولولاه لم تُبصِر من النور طَلعةً

وبالعلم والعرفانِ لم تبلُغ القصدَا

وبالعلم والعرفانِ لم تبلُغ القصدَا

And but for him, it would have seen no light appear,

Without him it would not have seen a ray of light

nor would it have reached its goal through knowledge and understanding.

And would not have reached its goal through knowledge and cognition

خبَا نورُها دَهرا طويلاً وإنَّما

خبَا نورُها دَهرا طويلاً وإنَّما

بطلعتِه الغرَّاءِ قد أشرقَت مَجدا

بطلعتِه الغرَّاءِ قد أشرقَت مَجدا

Its light had dimmed for a long age; only

Its light was hidden for a very long time but

through his radiant countenance has it shone in glory.

With his radiant rising it shone with glory

فدُم سيدِي للشعبِ قُرَّةً عينهِ

فدُم سيدِي للشعبِ قُرَّةً عينهِ

وذِكرَكًَ بالتقديسِ مُتَّخذاً وِردَا

وذِكرَكًَ بالتقديسِ مُتَّخذاً وِردَا

So live on, my lord, as the delight of the people's eyes,

So my master's blood is beloved to his people

and may they make reverent remembrance of you their daily litany.

And mentioning you with sanctity taking it as accustomed

سُبقِيكَ ربُّ العرشِ للِعرشِ مفخَراً

سُبقِيكَ ربُّ العرشِ للِعرشِ مفخَراً

ويُبقيكَ يا مولاَيَ مَوئِلنا الفردَا

ويُبقيكَ يا مولاَيَ مَوئِلنا الفردَا

The Lord of the Throne will preserve you as a source of pride for the throne,

May your Lord precede you to the throne gloriously

and preserve you, O my lord, as our sole refuge.

And keep you, my Master, our unique refuge

ودُمتَ لصدِّيقيةِ الإسمِ والنُّهَى

ودُمتَ لصدِّيقيةِ الإسمِ والنُّهَى

ودمتَ لأشبالٍ ستُبصرُهم أُسدَا

ودمتَ لأشبالٍ ستُبصرُهم أُسدَا

And may you live on for her who is truthful in name and wisdom,

You remained true to the integrity of name and prohibition

and live on for lion cubs you will see become lions.

You remained for cubs who you will see become lions

ودم للتهامي المُخلصِ الوُدَّ من غَدَا

ودم للتهامي المُخلصِ الوُدَّ من غَدَا

لٍِبابك عَبدا لا يُرَى مِثلُه عَبدا

لٍِبابك عَبدا لا يُرَى مِثلُه عَبدا

And live on for al-Tihami, sincere in affection, who has become

And you remained for the sincere love of tomorrow

a slave at your gate, a slave whose equal is never seen.

A servant at your door who is unmatched

فخورٌ بِكم لم ينسَ أنعُمَك التِي

فخورٌ بِكم لم ينسَ أنعُمَك التِي

عليها مدَى الأيام يحمَدُكُم حَمدا

عليها مدَى الأيام يحمَدُكُم حَمدا

Proud of you, he has not forgotten your favors, which

Proud of you who did not forget your favors

he praises you for, with gratitude, throughout the days.

Which he will praise you for as long as days continue